upgrade

Is the new look and new software enough to make you go for it?
The Internet is on fire over the Samsung Galaxy S5. Generally seen as a nice device by those who have had their hands all over it, it retains the look we're familiar with, while being a little different — both outside and inside. But it seems like there is no instant "wow" factor to make everyone drop what they are doing and pull...

Register in February and take advantage for the whole of 2014
Best Buy is offering a promotion right now that'll be of interest to anyone upgrading their phone at some point in 2014. Simply register the number that you'll be upgrading – porting the number to another carrier also counts – and you can get yourself a $50 Best Buy gift card that can be used towards the cost of your new phone on AT...

Carrier changes its 'Belief' system in favor of contracts and restocking fees starting this month
Back in 2010, U.S. Cellular surprised many of us by announcing 'The Belief Project' -- a new, novel policy that gave existing customers increased freedom by no longer requiring that they sign a contract for phone upgrades. Only an initial contract was required to be signed by new customers; after...

Customers will now be waiting an extra 4 months for new phones
A few changes to how Verizon is doing upgrades were announced today, none of which are particularly beneficial to subscribers. The current 20-month waiting period for device upgrades has been extended to 24-months; Verizon says this "aligns the upgrade date with the contract end date and is consistent with how the majority of...

Sony Mobile has provided another update on the progress of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean updates for its 2012 Xperia smartphones.
First up, the company confirmed that its high-end late 2012 devices, Xperia T, TX and V, are on target to receive Jelly Bean in February and March. Once those updates are out the door, Sony will upgrade the Xperia J, Xperia P and Xperia Go in late March. The remaining...

Long-suffering Motorola Droid Bionic owners, your Ice Cream Sandwich update has finally arrived. The Bionic, which has languished on Gingerbread since its release last fall, is today being bumped up to Android 4.0.4 via an over-the-air upgrade.
Reports from the Android Central forums indicate that the Bionic ICS update is now being sent out the masses, following a short soak test.
Unfortunately...

If you're an owner of one of Acer's range of Android tablets, you'll no doubts be wondering if and when you'll ever see some Jelly Bean action. Well, Acer has come forth with the details, so wonder no longer. While it's good news for some, inevitably it will herald bad news for others. Here's the long and short of it though.
The latest tablets are all in the 'yes' column. The new, 7-inch, A110 ...

If you're a current iPhone user who has no interest in the latest from Cupertino, HTC wants your business. If you trade in your working, non-cracked iPhone and purchase their One X, they'll throw in a $99 urBeats headset.
If you remember our article on the Trade Up program from a few days ago, the going rate from HTC for a 16GB iPhone 4S is $215. However a quick eBay search will reveal that the...

Have you been eyeing one of HTC's new phones? Well you're in luck because HTC just announced their Trade Up program. Very similar to what Samsung is also doing, HTC is willing to give you up to $300 for your old (working & non-damaged) phone. However unlike the Samsung offer, HTC doesn't specify what device you have to buy, as long as it is a new HTC phone.
I crunched a few numbers for you...

If you're on the fence about whether to drop your hard-earned currency on a new Galaxy smartphone, Samsung Mobile USA is hoping to sweeten the deal with a option to take your old phone off your hands. On its official Facebook page, the manufacturer offers customers picking up a Galaxy S2, Galaxy S3 or Galaxy Note the option to exchange your aging handset for up to $300 in cold, hard cash.
If you...

Galaxy S III Video Maker now available through Samsung Apps, too
As we mentioned in our full review, one of our pet peeves with the Samsung Galaxy S III is the way automatic brightness always defaults to too low a level, combined with the fact that there's no brightness widget or control in the notification area. And it looks like Samsung's heard our complaints, as a second over-the-air update...

As it was foretold, the T-Mobile HTC Amaze 4G has begun getting its Ice Cream Sandwich update. The push to Android 4.0 isn't going to hit everyone at the same time, so don't fret if you don't get it right this second.
Here's the full changelog:
Android version 4.0.3 / Software version 2.14.531.3710RD
Approved 5/21/2012
New Features
Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)
Sense 3.6...

Sony announced today that, as promised, its Tablet S is now receiving its Android 4.0 update. Beginning today, owners should see a popup notification prompting the update, which will be delivered over the air. Among the goodies your Tablet S will soon be enjoying include:
Enhanced lock screen (Direct access to Notifications; Unlock direct to camera)
New panoramic camera mode
Enhanced...

A new text message is currently being sent out to Virgin Mobile USA customers with what may be an in important announcement if you're looking towards picking up a new device from them anytime soon.
VMFreeMsg Starting 5/27/12, new smartphones will be subject to current plan rates. This will apply if you switch phones. Go to http://msg4u.us/src for info.
At first glance, it may appear as though...

Verizon might have nixed plans for a $2 bill-payment fee late last year, but that doesn't mean it's the end of all fees for all time. Starting April 22, Big Red will charge you $30 for the privilege of upgrading your device on contract.
Says Verizon:
This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless...

If you were one of the lucky few able to grab an Sony Xperia S in Barcelona during MWC, today you'll be able to pick up a new software update to version 6.0.A.3.67. The update isn't yet going out over the air, but it is available through Sony's PC Companion app for Windows.
Unfortunately the package doesn't include the sorely-needed Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update -- that's due sometime...

Update: Forum reports now indicate that the original HTC Sensation is also getting the ICS update, though for the moment it seems to be limited to Germany and Nordic countries.
Have a German HTC Sensation XE? Looking for your Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update? Tired of us asking questions when you know darn well where this is going?
That's right, boys and girls, it looks like the ICS update...

Motorola and Verizon Wireless are now pushing out software version 5.9.902 to Droid Bionic handsets, bringing a lengthy list of changes and fixes to the LTE-guzzling slab. The update, which weighs in at 57.6MB, provides Droid Bionic owners with a handful of welcome stability improvements, fixing crashes and lock-ups in a variety of areas. Some highlights from the changelog include fixes for...

As we first told you late last night, the Wifi-only version of the Motorola Xoom is in the midst of getting its Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update. Motorola's just released the full changelog, which reads as follows:
Updated Browser with faster rendering, zoom and pan: Users can also now save pages for offline reading and request desktop versions of websites.
Swipe to dismiss...

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